Week of 4 Lent, Tuesday – March 20
Psalm 97, 99, Genesis 49:29-50:14; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34; Mark 8:1-10
Mark 8:1-10
In those days when there was again a great crowd without anything to eat, he called his disciples and said to them, “I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way—and some of them have come from a great distance.” His disciples replied, “How can one feed these people with bread here in the desert?” He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” Then he ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground; and he took the seven loaves, and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute; and they distributed them to the crowd. They had also a few small fish; and after blessing them, he ordered that these too should be distributed. They ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. Now there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha
I love this passage for how it gives us the basics of Jesus’ message. A crowd of people come to hear Jesus talk. They are hungry – spiritually, driving them to stay three days, and then physically, for they don’t bring enough food to last. Jesus is in a position of power – the swelling crowds, listening to His every word – it could have been quite an ego trip for Him. But, Jesus is not absorbed with himself; He pays attention to the people’s needs to be fed, and He feels compassion. He wants to care for everyone, not just a chosen few. He wants to feed, to nourish, to make sure all of the people can go safely home, where they might then feed others His messages of hope and love. But, Jesus doesn’t do this himself. He asks the disciples – his followers, his friends, his companions – to do this work of feeding the crowds.
I pray that I can recognize all opportunities to be part of this unending circle of longing and hunger, receive compassion and nourishment, so that I may do God’s work — to recognize in others their longing and hunger, to feel compassion and give nourishment, so they will do God’s work – to recognize in others their longing and hunger, show compassion, give nourishment and go out to do God’s work.
Diane Z-D.
Leave a comment